Populism: Useful tool for political analysis or empty buzzword? Populism has become one of the main political buzzwords of our age. Newspapers are full of headlines about its seemingly unstoppable rise, and political scientists, journalists and other commentators are engaged in a lively debate about the nature and causes of this phenomenon. Yet, the very popularity of the concept has provoked a backlash from critics who wonder aloud whether populism even exists at all.

This workshop aims to contribute to this debate by addressing anew the question what populism is – and whether it is a useful category of political analysis at all. We aim to do so by bringing together scholars working on populism from various disciplines, including the social sciences, history and political theory, thus broadening the debate beyond its original moorings in political science.

If you are interested in participating, please send an abstract (no more than 300 words) and a brief CV to Prof. Dr. Annelien de Dijn (a.m.r.dedijn@uu.nl) before September 16, 2019.

When: 18-19 October 2019

Where: Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Organizers: Annelien de Dijn (UU, History) & Jan Pieter Beetz (UU, Governance)